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Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) International Solidarity Network calls for the government of Pakistan to repeal its laws on blasphemy. The urgent need for law reform has been highlighted by the recent deadly attacks on a Christian community in Punjab, Pakistan, whose members were accused of desecrating the Qur'an. Members of a banned Islamist group, Sipah-i-Sahaba, took the law into their own hands and it is reported that policemen present did not try to control the mob and protect the citizens.

On 20 August, the Syariah High Court in the Malaysian state of Pahang Shariah Court ordered that Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno be remanded at the Kajang women’s prison in the state of Selangor from Monday, 24 August. Madam Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, had been sentenced to six strokes of the cane and fined RM5,000 (approximately US$ 1,400) after she pleaded guilty to consuming beer two years ago at a hotel in Pahang. Madam Kartika has since been released, but the sentence of caning is reportedly still due to be carried out and has only been postponed until after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) international solidarity network is deeply concerned to learn that the Syariah High Court in the Malaysian state of Pahang Shariah Court has ordered that Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno be remanded at the Kajang women’s prison in the state of Selangor from Monday, 24 August. Madam Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, has been sentenced to six strokes of the cane and fined RM5,000 (approximately US$ 1,400) after she pleaded guilty to consuming beer two years ago at a hotel in Pahang.

The Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) international solidarity network is deeply concerned to learn that Madam Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno has been sentenced by the Pahang Syariah Court to six strokes of the rotan (and fined RM 5000) as punishment for drinking beer in a hotel nightclub in 2007.

As Lubna Ahmad Hussein works for the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), the judge today said that she has immunity so the case could be cancelled. Hussein refused, however, and said that she will resign from UNMIS so she will be dealt with as a Sudanese citizen. The decision was reached to postpone the case to another session on Tuesday 4th of August.

The Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) International solidarity network is gravely concerned to hear that tomorrow, Wednesday 29 July, at 10:00 am, Sudanese time, the court will hear the case brought against Sudanese journalist Lubna Ahmad Hussein for ‘inappropriate dress and conduct’.

Women Living Under Muslim Laws is very happy to announce that Shadi Sadr was released from Evin Prison on Tuesday, a little after 11 a.m. She returned home to her family earlier than the 6 p.m. time the court had said she would be released. Shadi’s family was planning to welcome her upon her arrival when they saw her standing at the door. Apparently, Shadi Sadr had arrived several hours earlier so that her friends and family would not have to gather outside the prison.

On Friday 17 July 2009, at around 11:30 a.m., our colleague Shadi Sadr was abducted by a group of officers in civilian clothes while she was walking on Keshavarz Boulevard, Tehran, to a mosque for Friday prayers.

The Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) international solidarity network is deeply concerned by the violent abduction and detention without charge of human rights lawyer, Ms. Shadi Sadr, by state agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran.